Vrabel Praises Patriots WR Boutte’s Courage: ‘Not easy to do’
Boutte's raw courage, honest growth, turns adversity into inspiring success
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Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has come a long way since this offseason.
Boutte is in the middle of a terrific year, having caught four passes for 66 yards against the Chargers Sunday night while playing a key role in New England’s 16-3 Wild Card win over Los Angeles.
But heading into this game, Boutte did something that head coach Mike Vrabel gave him credit for on Monday. Boutte wrote an honest article last week that appeared in The Player’s Tribune about his gambling issues in college, which saw him get in trouble heading into his second NFL season while facing charges of underage gambling and wire charges.
The accusations came from his time at LSU where he reportedly placed thousands of wagers, which reports said also continued approximately a week after he was selected by New England in the sixth round in 2023.
Those charges were ultimately dropped, but it cast a shadow over a player who was already coming off some tough moments during his first season here in New England.
However, last week Boutte wrote about that entire experience. He took full accountability of that entire period of his life, giving people an in-depth look at his side of what went on and what he went through.
“I fell in love with gambling,” wrote Boutte. “I know that might sound crazy to some people, but every addict out there is nodding their heads, like..… Damn, that’s real. You really feel in love with it.”
He admitted that he’d wake up early in the morning and bet, and then stay up late at night and do the same thing. He admitted that he was always chasing big wins, while conflicted about the idea of quitting in fear of missing out on the big payday that he was seeking.
“But even when you win, it’s never enough — you aren’t satisfied just winning $1,000,” he wrote. “Don’t get me wrong, a bag is nice. But nobody gambles for that kind of money. Gambling is about the dream. Everybody’s dream is to go to the casino and hit for $100K … $300K … $500K. And a lot of gamblers think that if they quit, it would end up being right before their biggest hit, before they would have tripled up on some parlay. 10x, 20x. Why not? That could be me. That’s the mindset that always kept me hanging on. What if I do quit, but one day, I would’ve hit this, and we’da been on a boat somewhere, living off it?”
Injuries in college made things worse, which was where he admitted he fell into those habits. Until one day, he woke up and decided he wanted a change, which he said came when he reached a point where he was healthy enough to play football again, and the second when he learned he was going to be a father.
“I wish I could tell you I came to my senses on my own.…. But honestly, only two things saved me,” he wrote. “One was getting healthy enough to play football again. The other was becoming a father, as a junior in college. Nothing wakes you up faster than that. I just looked at myself in the mirror one day and realized, Bruh, the way you living ain’t healthy.”
But during the offseason when his mistakes in college resurfaced, Boutte admitted that completely shook him. Still, it was how the Patriots stuck with him that has meant the most to him on the road back to getting to where he wanted to be.
“I owe the Patriots organization everything, because after the season ended, my past came back on me,” wrote Boutte. “I had to deal with the gambling stuff resurfacing. I got arrested for gambling underage while I was at LSU, and before the charges got dismissed, they cuffed me and everything. Look, I take full responsibility for my own actions, but I won’t lie, it felt like they were making an example out of me. That part didn’t feel good, just knowing how bad I had been struggling. Especially thinking about how this type of thing is happening on campuses all over, and other kids are probably struggling, too. But I did what I did, so I took it on the chin.”
“How many of those 32 teams would’ve just walked away at that point? Especially from a sixth-round pick. But the organization knew my heart, and they stuck by me.”
He’s come a long way, especially for a player who got off to a rocky start his rookie season. After playing 55-of-80 snaps in the opener in 2023, Boutte’s inability to get his feet down on a catch down the stretch in that game appeared to see him fall out of favor. He was inactive for the next eight games, before appearing for a handful of snaps in four of the final eight as the club went on to finish 4-13.
But Bill Belichick’s firing at the end of that season provided a clean slate under first year head coach Jerod Mayo. Following Boutte’s arrest, Mayo and the team let things play out with the second-year player, with Mayo pointing out during the coaches breakfast that offseason that Boutte was just a young kid, and he was committed to try and help him rather than just give up on him.
“We’re continuing to gather information on that. He’s still on the team,” said Mayo at the time. “He’s still on the team, and hopefully we can continue to develop this player but really develop him as a man as well going forward. I think it’s important to remember, like some of these guys are very young. They’ve made mistakes in the past. It’s easy to just throw them away, but there are certain instances where you’re like, ‘Alright, I can help this guy out.’ And I feel like we have a good player development group there that will definitely help us going forward.”
It ended up being the right decision. Boutte eventually broke out last year after the club took Drake Maye in the first round, with the former LSU wideout becoming one of Maye’s favorite targets.
He finished 2024 with 43 yards for 589 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a team-high 13.7 yards per reception after becoming Maye’s most reliable downfield threat.
At the start of the offseason, there were obviously more changes. Mayo was fired after the club endured another 4-13 finish, and the tide certainly turned.
With a new coach in Mike Vrabel and a new staff, it was clear that there were was likely going to be a significant overhaul on the roster. After all, this was a team that finished near the bottom of the league in scoring the previous season, and the club made efforts this offseason to get deeper on the offensive side of the football.
That started in free agency when they added Mack Hollins, along with later adding Stefon Diggs. They then added rookie receiver Kyle Williams, adding to a room that, at the time, saw 2024 draft choices Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the mix with Boutte heading into training camp. Also among that crowded room was Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, and eventually undrafted receiver Efton Chism.
That led to trade rumors when it came to Boutte, with some wondering if there was room for him in this offense.
Instead, it ended up being both Polk and Bourne who were dealt, while Baker seemed to get impatient after being cut from the active roster and refused to return to New England’s practice squad, despite an incredible amount of support from Vrabel over that stretch. He signed with Philadelphia and joined their practice squad, but was cut in October and he’s since landed in San Francisco on their practice squad.
Meanwhile, for Boutte, his role got bigger, and he’s been terrific. He caught 33 passes this year for 551 yards, with his yards per reception shooting up to 16.7%. His completion percentage from Maye also shot up, going from 63.2% in 2024 to 71.7% this season, along with six touchdowns.
Vrabel said on Monday that he’s proud of Boutte for being vulnerable and getting his message out there. Vrabel also added that his decision to tell his story will help other people, and he admitted that making that decision was absolutely a big one.
“That’s not easy to do,” said Vrabel when asked about Boutte’s article Monday. “I told him I know that that will help a lot of people. He’s, I would say, a private person, but I have seen a lot of growth from him personally. It’s important to him. I think this team means a lot to him. He competes. He seems to kind of always come through when we need him, just like he did again last night.”
“For him to be able to open up and share those things publicly, as candidly as he I did, I was really proud of him. Said that immediately when I saw it. I think it just shows a lot of growth, and that’s not easy to do.”
Needless to say, it’s been a long road, but Boutte’s now where he belongs. And he’ll have another chance this weekend to continue what’s become a remarkable turnaround for the third-year receiver.
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